Chapter 40 Deeper Obsession

Chapter 40 Deeper Obsession
The new safe house was a mountain lodge in the Adirondacks. It was hidden under layers of false ownership and protected by a small group of trusted people that Captain Reyes had chosen himself. Snow was falling outside. It covered everything in white. Made it very quiet.. The quiet did not feel peaceful. It felt like something was covering everything. Iris stood by the window in the main bedroom. She was watching the snow fall. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her. There were ten children sleeping in the rooms down the hall. They were like miracles. Iris and the others had done a lot to protect them.. The last message from The Continuum still kept coming back to her mind. It was like a curse: One of them is no longer yours.

Lucien came up behind her. He put his hands on her hips. He was not wearing a shirt. The new scars on his side and shoulder were still red and angry under the bandages. He pulled her back against his chest. His chin rested on her head. "You have not slept in three days " he said softly. His voice was rough because he was tired. "Come to bed.”

“I cannot " she whispered. "Every time I close my eyes I see their faces. I keep wondering which one is... Wrong. Which one is already gone.”

He turned her gently to face him. His eyes used to scare her.. Now they just showed love. "We will test them again in the morning. Amara has ways to do it.. Right now you need rest. We both do. The children need us to be strong.”

Iris looked at his face. She saw the lines of worry there. This man. Her stalker, her savior, her husband. Had been carrying the weight of their world on his shoulders for a time. She got up on her toes. Kissed him. The kiss started softly. Then it got deeper. It was like they were desperate. They had almost lost everything many times. Lucien made a sound in his throat. His hands went down to her bottom. He pulled her close to him.

They went towards the bed. They took off their clothes quickly. Lucien laid her down gently. His mouth touched every part of her body. It was like he was memorizing her. He was afraid the world would try to take her again. He kissed her neck. He sucked on her breasts. He licked her stomach slowly. Then he went down to the heat between her legs. His tongue went inside her. It was like he was tasting her. He was devouring her with strokes. Two of his fingers went inside her. His lips closed around her. Iris arched her back. She put her fingers in his hair. She was moaning his name like a prayer. She came hard against his mouth.

He moved up her body. He went inside her in one move. They moved together slowly at first. They were savoring the moment. Then they got faster. They were more desperate. His hips moved forward. He was driving inside her. Each stroke was like a claim. It was a promise. It was a reminder that they were still real. Iris wrapped her legs around his waist. She met every thrust. Her nails went down his back. When she came again he followed her. He made a sound. He spilled inside her. He held her like she was the thing that kept him safe in the storm.

They lay together after that. Their bodies were sweaty. Their hearts were slowing down. Lucien brushed her hair away from her face. His eyes were soft. "I do not deserve you " he whispered. "After everything I did. The watching, the control, the lies. You still chose me.”

Iris touched the scar on his shoulder. "We chose each other. My obsession became love. The pain became family. I would not change any of it if it means we have the children.”

They finally fell asleep. They were wrapped in each other’s arms.

\---

The scream woke them up.

It was Lila.

Iris and Lucien got up quickly. They took the guns from the nightstand. They ran down the hall to the children’s wing. What they saw froze their blood.

Lila was standing in the middle of the room. Her eyes were glowing with a light. The other children were hiding in the corners. They were scared. Elias was in front of the ones. His fists were clenched.

“Mommy " Lila said.. It was not her voice. It was older. It was colder. It was Councilor Blackwood’s voice. "You should have given up when you had the chance.”

Lucien raised his gun. His hand was shaking. "Get out of my daughter.”

Lila. Or the thing inside her. Smiled. It was a child’s face.. It was not a child’s smile. "It is too late. The transfer is complete. This body is mine now. The others will follow at sunrise unless you give the master key to Victor.”

Iris was devastated. She fell to her knees. She was crying. "Lila... Baby fight it. Please fight it.”

Lila’s body shook. For a second her real voice came out. "Mommy... It hurts. Make it stop.”

Lucien. Ran forward.. Amara stopped him. "If you kill the body the consciousness might go to another child. We need the master key. Grace has it.”

Grace. The child. Came forward. She was holding the device. "I can reverse it.. It will hurt her. Badly.”

They had no choice.

The procedure was very painful. Grace pressed the key to Lila’s forehead. Lila screamed in pain as the foreign consciousness was taken out. When it was over Lila fell into Iris’s arms. She was crying.. She was herself again.

The victory was not happy.

Victor Lang’s voice came through the speakers. "You saved one.. I have the others. Look outside.”

They went to the windows. The floodlights showed the grounds. There were figures standing in the snow. They were copies of every child, adult and even the newborns. It was an army of copies. They all had their family’s faces.

Victor stepped out from, behind them. "Choose which originals live. The rest will be replaced tonight.. Give up. I will let you keep the copies. They are better anyway. They obey. They are eternal.”

It was the choice.

Iris looked at Lucien. They were both broken. There were ten children. Ten lives. Many copies. An immortal group that would not die.

Lucien pulled her close. He kissed her forehead. The children gathered around them. They were scared.. They trusted them. "We fight " he whispered. "For all of them.. Copy. They are ours.”